One of the seven core principles of conservatism is the commitment to the rule of law. It’s a principle that ensures stability, predictability and fairness — the very conditions under which societies flourish and individuals thrive. Hand in hand with this is another value conservatives proudly uphold: the pursuit of economic growth and wealth accumulation through a free market economy. These principles intertwine because without a robust legal system that regulates the market, the ultimate goal of profit cannot be achieved.
Yet it is this very principle of the rule of law that is now being actively undermined as the legal system comes under attack. Conservatives who have acquired immense wealth through this system need to realize that the continued growth of their wealth depends on protecting the very system that is now being threatened.
The United States has one of the most sophisticated and robust legal systems in the world. For business owners, these laws encourage risk-taking, protect private ownership and minimize government overreach on wealth accumulation — creating business-friendly conditions that allow wealth to amass. Take, for example, Delaware’s corporate law — widely praised for its clarity, consistency and shareholder-friendly provisions. It’s no accident that over two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated there. Similarly, from securities regulations to intellectual property protections, American law keeps shareholders liable while further promoting their ability to grow wealth.
These laws succeed because they establish clear terms of liability and duty, define dispute resolution mechanisms and hold individuals strictly accountable when violations occur. At their core, they reflect a collective commitment to fair profit rooted in shared integrity and respect for individual market rights. Yet, targeting specific law firms and individual lawyers based on their personal backgrounds — including lawyers practicing commercial litigation, whose work underpins the very legal structure that allows businesses to flourish — exposes a deeper contradiction. Such attacks represent a larger assault on the legal framework that has long enabled immense wealth creation for the elite. Weak contract enforcement as a result of an underdeveloped legal system is one of the primary reasons why developing countries lag behind.
Another key reason behind the United States’ ability to produce successful entrepreneurs across the political spectrum lies in its judicial independence, which allows business activities to be governed by contracts and legal principles rather than direct political interference. While the ruling party can appoint judges who align with its ideology, and thus exert some indirect influence over the judiciary, the system is fundamentally designed to ensure that legal disputes are resolved through established legal channels, not partisan agendas. However, when specific law firms are targeted for political reasons and constitutional principles are manipulated to serve political ends, the rule of law is undermined. Ultimately, this weakens the impartiality of a legal framework that never discriminated against success based on political ideology.
It’s crucial to note that 54% of surveyed small business owners relied on President Donald Trump to make an impact on their business. For millionaires and billionaires, the continued growth of their wealth ultimately comes down to respecting the legal mechanisms they once relied on to succeed. Even if your only concern is wealth, you should care — because politics is now undermining the rule of law, and with it, the very foundation of wealth accumulation.
